


7 Days in Paradise

by EightLeggedFox



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Famous Jihoon, M/M, Non-famous Daniel, this is all blonde-Jihoon-coming-back-from-Hawaii's fault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 07:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21012317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EightLeggedFox/pseuds/EightLeggedFox
Summary: Jihoon flies to the island paradise that is Hawaii for some much-needed vacation time. What he doesn't know is that paradise can come in many forms—in picture-perfect beaches, plates of tropical seafood, and tall strangers with smiles as bright as the sun.





	7 Days in Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> This is the literary manifestation of my feelings after a Tuesday of listening to Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer' on repeat, and Jihoon coming back the way he did from his trip to Hawaii. #ded

This was supposed to be a vacation, an entire week all by himself well and away from the people who adore him, who work for him, and everything else that comes with it. No cameras, no spotlights, no silent giggles of glee from strangers who recognize him. 

Don’t get him wrong—Park Jihoon absolutely loves that about his life just as much as he knows that it’s what he’s signed up for. Okay so he silently complains inside his head and even curses under his breath a few times, but by no means does he mean any of those gestures in malice. He’s lucky and blessed, incredibly so, to be where he is right now that it’d be a _ sin _ for him to even complain.

But he’s also a human being, one that has only walked this earth for a measly twenty years (twenty-one if you go by his homeland's customs) and like any other human on this planet, he commits this sin; he complains to the people who will hear out his heart and will know how to keep it in theirs. He gets tired of a taxing everyday routine so required of someone with his pair of shoes. He gets weak and unmotivated and sometimes forgets the reasons for his being, enough to push him just a little bit over the edge to request for a break.

Which brings him to why he’s even here in the first place. He’s again graced with luck on this matter, just like how most of the things in his life turn out. Because a ‘break’ could very well be the four hours of alone time he gets every night in his room when he’s done with his schedules for the day. A break could be the weekend, whichever day of the week it lands on when a call for a public appearance doesn’t present itself. People like Jihoon don’t get _ ‘breaks’, _ so he knows how fortunate he is to have a company that would grant him one.

One week. All the way in an archipelago on the other side of the globe where the clock doesn’t match his home. He thought he was dreaming when his manager-hyung had surprised him with the airplane tickets a few weeks ago after a particularly tiring day of filming (he had had to run around the set in his hanbok _ all _ day). He thought he was dreaming when management, i.e, his parents, had allowed him to go on the trip _ alone _ . He thought he was dreaming when his hyung dropped him off at the airport, told him _ ‘I’m not kidding Hoon-ah. I’m really not coming along with you. You’re getting this trip for yourself.’ _and smiled and hugged him goodbye just before he entered the immigration gates.

In fact even now, three days in one of the most private, upscale hotels on the island and sipping at his second glass of piña colada while sitting on one of the outdoor dining patios that overlook the western ocean (he’s still giddy that he gets to call the pacific ocean _ west _ from here), he _ still _thinks he’s dreaming. 

He really wouldn't have it any other way...except for one really tiny growing detail. At the moment though, as grand and serene as this all is, he kind of wishes for one aspect of the dream to change. One that's slightly creeping up in annoyance, in the form of another hotel guest.

The first time Jihoon saw him was on his first day here, the very moment he stepped out of the convoy that transferred him from the airport to the hotel. He was gathering his luggage when his hand slipped on the handle and his bag came down with a thunderous thud as it met the cemented floor of the driveway. Jihoon was just about to crouch and pick it back up when this tall stranger suddenly comes to do it for him. 

"Here, I got it," was all he said, effortlessly passing Jihoon his luggage bag handle with a smile as bright as the early afternoon Hawaiian sun. Jihoon had graciously thanked the stranger in return, even bowing a little as a force of habit. It’s all fine, really, except he couldn't help but feel just a little salty because one, Jihoon is _ definitely _not weak and frail to be seen as incapable of picking up after himself and; two, he knows without a single shroud of doubt in his bones that the guy had recognized him.

He's mostly a little annoyed at himself because he had been feeling confident on the ride to the hotel over the fact that no one still knew who he really was when he had landed at the airport. And it's in this cocky confidence that he'd neglected to wear his face mask, leaving him vulnerable at about eight-inches of face-space for this tall stranger to see. He knows from experience that it only takes a single tweet, an all-caps post on social media, to announce to the world where he is. Not that he's judging this person's character right off the bat or anything, but years in the industry has taught him to be cautious.

The second time Jihoon sees the guy was just yesterday, twice even. Because as fate would have it, the room he was given just _ has _ to lie directly across the stranger's own temporary abode. He had encountered him on his way out just as the other person was stepping out as well, which only meant that neither of them had a choice but to give each other a polite smile, walk along the long stretch of a hallway towards the lifts and _ then _ take the elevator ride down to the lobby. Suffice to say, Jihoon has never had to channel his cold, celebrity persona much more than that moment alone. 

Encounter two-point-oh happens in the same crime scene too, just ten hours apart. Jihoon had spent the day at the beach and at the pool and was walking back in nothing but his swim trunks and red tank top when he catches tall-stranger again just about to enter his room. He's thrown a smile first, one that Jihoon _ really _ doesn't want to return but he gives a small one back in reminder that he _ at least _ didn't seem to spread to the online world about his whereabouts. Yet.

Today though, Jihoon’s had the presence of mind to look through his peep-hole for a good minute and a half before he made a move to even leave his room so as to avoid any further awkward encounters. And everything has been sailing smoothly, from the elevator ride down to the restaurant where he had his breakfast, up until this point where he’s lounging here with his piña coladas and feeling the sea breeze and sunshine hit his face.

Sailing smoothly, until about ten minutes ago when no one else but mister tall-stranger comes striding in his line of sight with a very large coconut shake in hand and sits on the chair two tables away from him. It’s only natural that Jihoon doesn’t give a response whatsoever, but the other person seems to have other ideas when he catches his eye and throws him a small smile.

He’s willing to give the benefit of the doubt and not pay him any more mind than he should but the relaxing atmosphere is deftly broken once tall-stranger fishes his phone out of his pocket and starts using it. This is where things start to get a little tense and uncomfortable for him. It doesn’t help that his seat is facing Jihoon’s direction, and that he’s using his device in such a way that he has his elbows up on the table that gives him a very clear, yet subtle, vantage point to snap a few photos of him if he wanted to. He probably isn’t, but Jihoon has been trained to always be on the lookout for every type of camera lens being pointed at him.

He’s roughly about halfway through his drink when he reaches the point of discomfort when tall-stranger guy suddenly lets out a soft chuckle in front of his phone screen. Jihoon isn’t really a self-conscious person, but there’s just something that _ really _ ticks him off when he thinks about how this is supposed to be his happy, private time and yet there’s this dude with his tacky pink Hawaiian shirt and coconut shake who may or may not be snickering at his expense. Jihoon tries his best to turn the other cheek, but when he hears the same gleeful chuckle a third consecutive time, something in his brain finally snaps. 

He gets up from his seat without a hundred-percent meaning to and starts to walk over to tall-stranger’s place. In the eight steps it takes him to get there, he finally gets a good look at the guy for the very first time. He’s obviously Asian if his eye-shape and complexion are to be considered, but to which country of the eastern lands he hails from, Jihoon’s not entirely sure. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things because he’s going to treat him the same regardless.

“Hello,” is the first thing Jihoon says to the stranger, who doesn’t seem to have noticed him walking all this way to him because he promptly jumps a little at his sudden proximity. His face is a painting of shock, as if his mind is trying to sort out how the hell he got here when he was literally just sitting there seconds ago.

“Oh, hi there,” tall-stranger says in reply, recovering from his bout and flashing him a smile. His English is good and so is his accent, and it’s only then that Jihoon realizes what a huge, impulsive mistake this all is because for starters: he can’t speak in English.

“Uhh—” He’s scouring his mind looking for words to spit out and say to him. Something along the lines of ‘what the hell is your problem’ or ‘can you please stop bothering me’, or ‘ if you want a photo, you can just ask instead of acting all paparazzi and being a dick’—but in a polite way. 

“What do you want me,” is what ends up coming out of his mouth in a flat, unimpressed tone. He’s about to pat himself on the back for his stellar language skills until tall-stranger suddenly makes a fart sound with his mouth in a failed attempt to cover up a huge laugh. Jihoon feels his tail go between his legs, wishing to the Hawaiian Gods to let the earth swallow him right then and there.

“S-sorry! I—” Tall-stranger tries to compose himself. He’s doing a really terrible job at it though, if the red flush on his face is anything to go by. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. Umm—I’d hate to be presumptuous but do you speak Korean?”

The sudden shift in language in that last sentence rings all the bells in Jihoon’s ears, and he suddenly finds himself nodding out of instinct despite the surprise he feels.

“Ah, good, good. We can speak our tongue then,” tall-stranger says, nodding back. “What did you want to say again?”

_ Now _ Jihoon can freely express himself. Although as much as he wants to verbally beat up the guy, he still has manners to uphold that prevents him from being _ too _ harsh. “Umm, yeah so—I’m really sorry to say this but I just wanted to ask if you could hold off taking pictures of me if you can? I’m on vacation right now and I’d really appreciate it if you could respect that too.”

It’s extremely polite, well-worded, and very professional that Jihoon even caps it all up with a practiced smile. He soon realizes though that everything he just said seems to have blown over this guy’s head because all he gets in the five-second window of a response is a few blinks and a gaping jaw.

“Oh. Oh my god, you thought I was—Oh god, no-no-no.” Tall-stranger stutters, raising both hands and shaking them in front of him; the motion of which gives Jihoon a lightning-strike of a glimpse over his phone screen that immediately deflates and erases all his earlier annoyances and also, his confidence.

Cat memes. This guy was literally only looking and laughing at cat memes.

“I wasn’t taking your picture or anything, I swear!” He continues, shaking his head in what’s probably a mix of disbelief and embarrassment. “I’m really sorry if it seemed that way. And I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

Now it’s Jihoon’s turn to hold the baton of shame, his hand instinctively going up to scratch the top of his head when he speaks. “Ah, y-yeah. Okay then, no worries. I’m sorry for assuming.” To express his sincerity, he even gives the guy a slight bow. They may not be on their home-soil but he knows the gesture isn’t lost with him. “I should, umm—stop bothering you now. I’m really sorry again. You have a nice day.”

“No, no! You’re no bother at all.” He lets out that same stifled chuckle he’s been doing earlier when he explains, and what surprises Jihoon the most is when he actually gets up from his seat and towers over him, holding out his hand. “My name’s Daniel, by the way. Umm—and this is pretty embarrassing but I only know your face, actually, because I saw you one time at a pizza commercial. I don’t really know who you are, to be honest.”

Jihoon blinks up at him, a little taken aback by his honesty, then at the hand he has extended for him to shake. What he just said explains a lot though. The small bit of recognition in his eyes when they first saw each other on the hotel driveway two days ago, and the apparent lack of headlining news on Naver that tattles on Jihoon’s whereabouts. It’s this amazement that actually eggs him on, to offer up a warm smile and take the guy’s hand.

“I’m Jihoon,” he says in a welcoming tone, not missing that tall-stranger’s—_ Daniel’s— _hands feel so big and warm over his own. “Uhh, and yeah. I’m not sure if that was me you saw but I did do a pizza commercial a few weeks back.”

“I knew it.” Daniel starts to grin, and Jihoon watches in awe how his eyes disappear from it. “I knew you looked familiar, I just didn’t want to assume. You changed your hair color, right? You weren’t blonde on that pizza ad.”

“Uhh, yeah. I wasn’t.”

Daniel nods at him, taking the info in. “Cool, cool. I like your hair now, by the way. You look good as a blonde,” he says, and as if he realizes his implication too late, he stutters out, “I-I mean—”

Usually, Jihoon would have something cool to say to a statement like that—something to keep the conversation afloat to prevent it from freezing with awkwardness. But the way Daniel had said it, the honesty and genuineness of the compliment is something he rarely gets from anyone that it absolutely blows him speechless. 

“Thanks,” is all he can say, and it’s only then that he realizes that their hands are still holding on together in a handshake. He pulls back a little, feeling his cheeks flaring up. “Umm, I guess I should let you get back to your drink now.” Jihoon gestures over at his coconut on the table, starting to take a few steps back. 

“Ah, okay. It was, umm—nice meeting you Jihoon,” Daniel says, waving a small hand of goodbye. “It’s always good to talk to someone from home. I’ll see you around.”

Somehow, Jihoon knows that the statement holds true—that they _ will _ see each other around some more. Probably because of the fact that their hotel rooms are literally across from one another.

“Likewise,” Jihoon says, waving back right before he turns around and heads back inside.

***

  
  


It's an hour later than usual when he leaves his room the next morning. His mom and dad had called to check up on him, asking how his trip was so far and if he'd been eating well. Jihoon had assured them that besides having a wonderful time, he's made it clear that he's probably the only guest in this hotel that visits the buffet spread five times a day. 

He misses them, his family. It’s nothing new to him really, when he’s spent a considerable amount of time of his life constantly being out and about and far away from home to the point that he’s really left with no other choice but to get used to it. He’s always had his manager-hyung with him though, and some of the staff at Maroo he considers to be his friends to keep him company. It’s only now that he’s literally all by himself, that the phrase of ‘be careful what you wish for’ types itself in bold inside his head.

It’s this feeling of longingness that follows him throughout his short journey from his room to one of the hotel’s restaurants. There are only a handful of people left at this late breakfast hour, and the smell of food instantly heightens up his mood again at least, except there is one particular sight in the room that piques his interest above all else.

Daniel is here too, sitting over on the side of the room in one of those comfortable sofa-dining setups the overlook the palm tree-lined pathways outside that lead to the beach. He’s alone too, and it’s only now that Jihoon realizes that he’s never seen the guy with any other person either. Not up on their floor of the hotel, and not around the grounds on the handful of times he’s crossed paths with him. He knows he shouldn’t feel this way, but Jihoon can’t help but be a little sympathetic. Now more than ever, he knows what it’s like.

It’s probably completely rash on his part—just a little bold and a tad bit stupid—that after he fills his plate up with his first round of brunch, he walks over to where Daniel is sitting. He doesn’t know where this sudden urge is coming from, but he attributes it to missing his family the most and by the time he thinks twice on his actions, it’s already too late. 

“Hi,” he says in a hushed voice, drawing Daniel’s attention from his Nintendo Switch over to him. “Umm, is this seat taken?”

Jihoon almost laughs, because the face Daniel pulls hold nothing but raw and undiluted surprise. He looks around the restaurant, probably noticing how there are literally more empty seats around than he could possibly count, before his eyes go back to him.

“Umm, n-no. Please, go ahead,” he says, gesturing to the sofa across from him. Jihoon gives him a silent thanks and proceeds to get on with his brunch.

As is always the case when there’s a bountiful feast in front of him, Jihoon promptly loses interest and focus on pretty much everything else that doesn’t qualify to enter his mouth. So it’s perfectly beyond him to even take notice of how Daniel is stealing glances at him, watching him eat with a silence that can only be considered as awe.

Jihoon finishes his first plate in record time, completely unbothered when Daniel stares at him as he goes back to the buffet for a second round and then back at their table again to continue his feast. It’s only when he’s about halfway through his second helping that one of them even speaks up.

“You eat a lot,” Daniel says, and the break in the pact of silence makes Jihoon look up, mouth still full and chewing half a pancake. He looks to be just as surprised as he is with his words, as evidenced in the way his eyes widen slightly.

“I-I mean, you have every right to eat a lot and—umm—” He stutters, his teeth flashing in a shy, crooked smile. Jihoon can see the tips of his ears turning pink. “Umm—you’re very big and—but not _ fat _ big, just _ big _big and—”

That does it. Jihoon almost chokes on his pancake for a second because in the next he’s absolutely, _ genuinely _ laughing. The kind that has him feeling like his face is pulling itself without his control to reveal all his teeth, where he wheezes out a deflated sounding kind of sigh that he attempts to cover with his hand. He hasn’t laughed like this in a while, not since he boarded the plane to Hawaii. It feels nice.

“Umm, are you laughing because it’s funny or because I stupidly offended you?” Daniel asks with a small chuckle, just shy of his own laughter. “I’m sorry. I’m, uhh-not really good at reading people.”

Jihoon takes a swig from his glass of pineapple juice first, composing his face back to a more neutral state. “The first one,” he answers, a giggle still escaping from him.

“Oh, good,” Daniel says, fanning himself a little with his hand. “For a second there I thought you were one of those obnoxious, celebrity types.”

“I’m just a pizza commercial guy.” Jihoon snickers, remembering the conversation they had yesterday. “I don’t have a right to be the obnoxious type yet.”

“Well, that excuse _ could _ work. If only it were true,” Daniel says with a sense of mischief. He bites his lips back, smirking with a glint in his eyes. “I kinda googled ‘Jihoon pizza commercial’ last night after you gave me your name and I gotta say, I saw some pretty interesting stuff."

That instinctively makes him raise an eyebrow, a smirk rising up to play on his face. "Oh? And what might these 'stuff' be?"

Daniel leans forward in his seat a little, resting his elbows on his knees when he answers. "Former child star. Idol. TV drama star. Consistently one of the top five celebrities with high brand reputation. That’s not even half of it. I haven't even gotten past all the hits on the first page of google yet.”

Jihoon laughs again and looks down despite himself. He’s never had a conversation like this with anyone before, although that’s mostly due to the fact that his opportunities to actually converse with someone outside the little bubble of their industry is very little and close to non-existent. It’s refreshing really, and dare he say exciting and just a little fun, to be able to talk to someone like Daniel who seems to view his profession as—well, just a profession.

“Can I ask you something then?” Daniel says after he’s composed himself. Jihoon merely raises an eyebrow for him to go on. “What are you doing here talking to me? I mean, not that I don’t like it or anything but...no offense, people like you aren’t usually the type to approach other people. It’s usually the other way around.”

Jihoon nods at that, acknowledging the truth of his statement. He goes back to his plate first though, forking a sausage and eating the whole thing before he faces him again. “If I sat and ate alone in a different table, would _ you _ have made you way over to me?”

He watches Daniel blink, watches the question sink in comprehension. “I guess not. But to be fair, I’d be more afraid that you’d call security or your bodyguard on me.”

“And you think I wasn’t afraid that you’d actually turn out to be a stalker who’d steal my hotel room keys and go through my stuff to sell online?” Jihoon counters with a smirk, right before he forks down another cut of sausage. In all honesty, he never even considered that fact until now. Daniel _ could _ very well be a stalker that’s trying to play him and earn his trust by acting all innocent and clueless. 

“Which brings us back to my question,” he says with a sly smile, not missing a beat. “Why did you come over here to sit with me? If you’re as afraid as you say you are.”

Daniel stares at him, his small smile still up on his face but with an expression that still relays he’s serious about what he’s asking. Jihoon feels himself shrinking a little and to compensate, focuses on eating a portion of his food for a while and avoiding eye contact. Daniel doesn’t rush him, nor does he stop looking at him either, and it’s only when Jihoon’s finished his meal that he finally sorts out his thoughts.

“I guess I was...feeling a little tired of being alone,” he says slowly, eyes still not going up to meet him. “I just wanted to try making a friend. Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Daniel starts to say, and Jihoon finally looks up at him only to see an amused sort of expression coloring his face. “Park Jihoon, I’d be more than happy to be your friend.”

Daniel's already starting to grin again as he says that, the kind that Jihoon now takes a mental note of that makes his eyes disappear. He smiles back at him too, and in that moment he knows for a fact that Daniel is definitely not a creepy stalker who will steal his hotel room keys and sell his stuff online.

  
  


***

  
  


"Umm...is it too late to back out?"

"Oh c'mon Hoonie. We've already talked about this."

"I didn't agree to anything!"

"Yeah, but you never said _ no _ either."

Jihoon lets out an exasperated sigh, rubbing at his still sleepy eyes. He looks over at Daniel, who has his arms crossed over his dark-patterned Hawaiian summer shirt while holding a brazen and confident look on his face, then over to the yellow dune-buggy beside him. 

In his defense, he really wasn't thinking much of anything when he spent the whole of yesterday hanging out and talking to Daniel. A foresight on his part, really, because when he had mentioned his itinerary—or rather, lack of it—to him, he didn't expect his newfound friend to take it _ so _ personally.

"You're seriously planning to just stay at this hotel the entire week??" Daniel had asked him, quite incredulously, yesterday while they sat over hammocks hiding from the afternoon sun under the palm trees near the beach. They had vacated their spot at the breakfast buffet hours ago and have been sipping coconut shakes since then. "And you say this is your _ first time _ in Hawaii, right?"

"Umm, yes?"

"What the hell Jihoon!" Daniel had exclaimed, so passionately that he even sat up from his comfortable position on his hammock.

"What?"

"I am_ not _ letting you go back to Seoul like this. No way. I'm going to fix this."

To be fair, Jihoon seriously thought he had just been overreacting. He wasn't even aware that there's a problem to fix, nor that the solution Daniel was referring to was to take him out of the hotel to explore the island in a bright, yellow buggy at seven in the morning.

"I can't leave the hotel," Jihoon says now, a little half-heartedly that Daniel surely doesn't buy.

"Why not?"

"What if people see me?" He voices out his primary fear. Not just over the possible implications of being in public without security or his manager, but he knows for a fact that if the media so as much gets a whiff of him then he’s a hundred-percent certain that he can very well kiss his freedom for the foreseeable future goodbye.

"No one's gonna see you," Daniel says, and just to prove it he pulls out two things from one of the buggy seats and walks over it to him—fitting a pair of sunglasses over his face and a huge straw sunhat on his head. 

"See? Now you look just like every other tourist on the island."

Jihoon rolls his eyes under the shades and pouts a little. Deep down they both know what he wants and where this is going. He’s really just delaying the inevitable, playing with his doubts to see if it can keep him from doing something he shouldn’t. And so it’s with a bit of reluctance that he releases a conceding breath and moans in defeat.

"You promise not to take me anywhere too public?"

Daniel smiles at that, claiming his victory. "Promise."

"_ And _ that we're not going to do anything dangerous and stupid?"

Daniel laughs, the kind of which Jihoon's growing to get used to. "I promise."

He bites down on his lower lip, takes one final glance behind him at the hotel’s entrance and sighs. He can't believe he's doing this. He can't believe he's trusting this boy, whom he's known for literally less than twenty-four hours, to drive him around on a private tour on an island country he’s never been in. Most of all, he can't believe that he's actually excited about all this.

"Alright, alright! Buckle-up Hoonie!"

Jihoon tries to distract himself from his own feelings by contemplating over the detail of when exactly Daniel had even started calling by that nickname. He's about to make a sarcastic comment even, but all of it flies over his head the moment their vehicle starts moving and rolling out of the driveway.

For a little while, all they pass through are the trees that line both sides of the road—precariously placed to purposely seclude the resort they're staying at from the rest of the world. It’s only when they make a turn at the corner that everything absolutely changes.

What was once a shroud of trees and overgrown bushes now open up to a view that stretches at a distance that Jihoon can’t even see the edge of. There’s the natural crescent of the beach on the left of the horizon, and the towering blocks of sparse city buildings intermingling with spots of greenery occupying the east. Jihoon can feel himself leaning forward in his seat, pulling his sunglasses down and marveling at the view that he didn’t even know existed just a few meters away from where they’ve been staying at. 

He didn’t notice any of this when he was being brought over from the airport convoy, but now in this open buggy, the feel of the wind brushing on his face while the rising sun kisses his skin over-stimulates all his senses to the very core. They’ve only driven out not even five minutes ago, and already Jihoon understands what Daniel means when he says he has to _ fix _ things.

“Close your mouth or you’ll catch bugs, Hoonie,” Daniel says from beside him, not even glancing in his direction but face crinkling in laughter all the same. Jihoon leans back on his seat and composes himself, but it’s physically impossible for him to even attempt to hide the awe in his voice when he speaks.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Welcome to Hawaii,” is all Daniel says as they continue down the road. Jihoon doesn’t know where they’re going yet or where Daniel even plans to take him, but he finds that he really doesn’t mind the details too much because there is obviously not a lack of things for his eyes to admire..

To his right blooms the green of fields and trees of varying sizes where colorful birds fly overhead in abundance. To his left gives him the ocean, emerald and turquoise blending seamlessly and glowing with a richness he’s never seen before. Even the view above him is just as spectacular, with clouds so thick and fluffed in white to contrast the bright blue of the tropical sky. Jihoon takes it all in, not even noticing that they’ve been driving for a while now.

“So first on our list of things to do today is breakfast,” Daniel announces once they finally enter the town proper, the road slimming down to streets and becoming more populated as they go. Jihoon nods at him then, pulling his sunglasses back up his face and taking in the rest of the sights with a more controlled expression. It’s not that much later when Daniel starts to park in an earthen parking lot stock in the middle of a few shophouses spread along the area.

“Alright, we’re here! C’mon!” Daniel announces excitedly, unstrapping himself and jumping out of the buggy.

They enter a modest-looking shack that's only a few steps away, and immediately Jihoon feels an ambience unlike anything he's felt since arriving in Hawaii. With huge open windows that let in all the sea breeze and sunlight the outside world has to offer, the medium-sized shop has a tropical-wooden interior with surfboards planking the walls and an array of colorful seashells scattered about every available surface. The place is slightly packed but none of the other patrons pay them any mind, and if anything, their presence merely adds on to how homey the place feels.

“I know the breakfast buffet at the hotel is great, but you can’t really say you’ve been to Hawaii unless you eat like the locals do,” Daniel tells him once they’re seated. Jihoon has no idea what he just ordered for them but the excitement and mystery of what he's going to be fed with is something he wants to hold on to.

“What makes you such an expert on Hawaii then?” Jihoon raises an eyebrow, curious. But before Daniel can answer, a tan-skinned lady comes walking over to their table carrying two wooden bowls. Jihoon's already captivated by the food alone when it’s placed in front of him but what really grabs his attention is when the lady suddenly squeals in delight and pulls his friend up for a huge, crushing hug.

"Oh I knew I recognized that voice from inside! Welcome back Danny!" 

There's a lot of smiling, more squeals of joy and definitely a lot more English words than Jihoon can handle. It's not awkward in the least, no. And Jihoon is beginning to learn that it's really hard to have an awkward situation when Daniel is constantly smiling and exuding the kind of energy like he always does.

He feels their conversation shift despite not understanding any of it when Daniel turns and gestures to him. Jihoon hears the word 'friend' and 'Korean' in one sentence so he immediately puts up his so-called celebrity smile in politeness.

"Hello Jihoon, I'm Mona. It's very nice to meet you." The lady, Mona, holds out her hand in greeting. Jihoon at least knows enough of the language to understand everything she just said so he gets up too, shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you too," he says in his horrible English, but the smile Mona gives him afterward makes him feel that she doesn't really mind and it doesn't matter all that much even if he speaks like a five-year old. When they're left alone again, Jihoon turns to Daniel with a questioning look, one that his friend just laughs at.

"Eat first. A poké is best when it's fresh, and Mona makes the best one in town," he says, not waiting for him and starting on his own bowl himself. Jihoon follows suit, but not before getting his phone out to take a photo of his food.

The ones they serve at the hotel were good, but all that seems to pale in comparison the moment Jihoon takes his first bite. He feels his eyes widening from the sensation of all the flavors coursing through his mouth, and he looks up just in time to see Daniel with his own phone out, smiling like a fool and snapping a photo of him. Jihoon can't even bring himself to pretend to be annoyed because he can't spare to put his spoon down, going back to his food instead and scraping off every single morsel.

"I want more," he says when he's cleaned his dish, looking over at Daniel's satisfied expression. "Let's order some more."

"As much as I enjoy watching you eat, I can't bloat you up too much Hoonie," Daniel says with a shake of his head, grinning when Jihoon pouts at him. "Can't have your stomach too full for the next thing on our list.”

That piques his interest, almost enough for him to let it slide that he’s not getting a second serving of the poké he just ate. Almost. “Where are we going next?”

But Daniel only smirks at him, one that holds all the enjoyment he’s probably feeling for holding back a surprise that Jihoon honestly can’t help but feel excited about.

  
  


The beach and the town are no longer in sight, and instead all Jihoon sees around him is a thick layer of vegetation dense enough to make the surroundings cool despite the noon-time sun. He has no idea where they are or where they're even going, and Daniel still won’t tell him anything. Although the way he’s driving on the unpaved pathway with deliberation tells him that it’s not his first time coming here.

They eventually slow to a stop right in the middle of the woods. Daniel unbuckles himself and jumps out of the buggy, walking to the back to grab his backpack from the small trunk.

“We walk from here Hoonie. C’mon, it’s not too far,” he says as he slings one strap over his arm, beckoning for him to follow. 

It’s not too hard of a trek, and just like how Daniel had driven them here, there’s a sureness in his step that indicates that he’s been here before despite the area looking straight out of an adventure film and pretty much looking all the same to his tourist eyes. The ground forms a sort of rough pathway if he looks hard enough, probably made from the countless footsteps that have traversed the area in the past, so at least Jihoon’s not _ too _worried about getting lost.

He hears it before he sees it, just after a few minutes of walking and following behind Daniel. A steady kind of sound in the distance, like the static of an empty radio frequency, emanating from somewhere deeper in the woods. It's gotten cooler now too, just a tad bit more humid from where they had parked the buggy. It's not that much longer before the static sound grows louder, deeper, turning into a rumble with every step he takes.

"Wow," is the first thing out of Jihoon's mouth when they finally break into a clearing. He doesn't even attempt to contain the awe, even when he feels Daniel eyeing him from the side. 

Because it's not just an ordinary clearing. Amongst the thick trunks of trees and tropical ferns growing on every available crevice of earth holds probably the most beautiful waterfall he’s ever seen. Jihoon can only remember a few times he's even stood this close to one in person, and while the one in front of him now isn't necessarily the biggest in terms of its height and the amount of water gushing down, it's definitely a sight to behold.

White, frothy waters jetting out from above, lined with trees and vines on the sides until it falls ever so perfectly on emeraldine waters that glitter under the sun. And the best part of it all, one that he's never had the chance to experience from any other waterfall sighting he's done in the past, is that there's absolutely _ no one _ around.

"So are you just gonna stand there and stare all day?"

Jihoon wakes up and—quite reluctantly—peels his eyes away from the view to look over at Daniel. He sees that he's settled the stuff he was carrying under a natural awning formed by a canopy of trees overhead that blocks out the sun. What surprises Jihoon though is his friend is now shirtless, signature grin still on his face when he sees that he's beginning to comprehend.

"We can swim here? For real?" Jihoon asks tentatively as he comes closer, not wanting to get his hopes up too high. It's all for naught though when Daniel just chuckles at him.

"I told you to wear your board shorts today for a reason," he says matter-of-factly. "Now c'mon!"

"Wait, I have to change into my rashguard first." Jihoon hurries to put his bag down as well, fishing out his swim clothes until Daniel holds his arm to stop him.

"In Hawaii, we don't swim with our shirts on Hoonie. How else are you going to feel the water around you?"

Jihoon blinks up at him, apprehensive. "I'm getting wet either way? I'm sure _ feeling _ the water won't be an issue." He goes back to opening his bag but Daniel promptly snatches it away from him, holding it behind his back.

"I want you to experience Hawaii in its highest potential Jihoonie, so nope. No shirts."

"But Daniel—"

"There's no one around here but me," he says, his tone shifting a little to seriousness as he addresses the real concern. "Not a lot of people know about this place either so you don't have to worry about anyone else."

He doesn't know why, but the way Daniel just said that suddenly makes his heart pump just a little bit faster. It doesn't expel the ingrained fear in him, brought about by years of habitually being careful about exposing so much as the skin of his stomach to anyone who would take advantage of it, but it does pump something in him that fuels his excitement. It could be the adrenaline, stemming from the idea of breaking the rules and such, but there's also the trust he has on Daniel that has sort of grown into something palpable that's literally leaving him breathless.

"See? You have a great body! Why hide it?" Daniel comments as he begins pulling his shirt over his head, snickering with glee.

“Just say you wanted to see me shirtless and go.” Jihoon mockingly rolls his eyes at him, folding his clothes and snatching his bag back from Daniel.

“Alright, c’mon let’s go!”

Jihoon watches Daniel walk ahead of him, away from the direction of the natural pool. “Go? Where?”

“To the top of the waterfall!”

From the get-go it already sounds something dangerous and stupid, which is exactly what Jihoon had made him promise that they wouldn’t be doing today. But in the similar manner of a few seconds earlier with his shirt, Jihoon feels it again. That surge of _ something _ pumping in his veins that leaves no room for him to doubt himself and just trust this overly excited boy in front of him.

It’s not too long of a height to climb, and the placement of rocks on the soil manages to create a kind of natural staircase that leads up to the summit. He follows Daniel’s sure steps, copying his movements of what tree branch to hold and what stone-step to avoid that in no time, Jihoon finds himself staring down at the pristine depths below. 

“Is it deep?” Jihoon asks him, voice slightly raised to be heard over the gush of the waterfalls. 

“Not that deep. You can swim right?”

“Yeah, but—” Jihoon hesitates, a bit of logic and fear snaking their way to his system. “I’m not really..._ fond _ of deep waters.”

“Oh. I’ll catch you then.”

“What?” Jihoon frowns, looking over to him. But before he can even think to comprehend what he just said, Daniel’s already stepping back and throwing himself forward with a loud yell of joy as he plummets down the peak to a large splash below.

“You’re crazy!” Jihoon yells after him as he watches Daniel come back to the surface. Even from this distance, his smile is blinding.

“Your turn!”

Jihoon bites his lips, feeling the fear freezing his limbs to a halt. He doesn’t have to do this. In a moment of rarity, he realizes that there is no one here to force him to do anything. No staff to encourage him to do something spectacular, so cameras to catch his actions, no audience to impress. There’s only him and this crazy boy who has managed to get him away from his blanket of security with only a few words and persuasion. He doesn’t have to do this.

“I’ll catch you Hoonie!” Daniel yells back from below, probably seeing his hesitation. “It’s gonna be okay! Trust me!”

His heart beats again with that same exhilaration. He peeks back down, taking in the height he’s up on and the drop that comes with it. And suddenly he knows—he just knows—that he’ll probably regret it for the rest of his life if he doesn’t do this.

So Jihoon takes a deep breath. He takes a few steps back. Closes his eyes and starts running forward until his feet lose the floor and he’s flying, falling, and screaming.

  
  


“Oh my god.”

“I knew you’d love it.”

“How many boxes did you buy?”

Daniel laughs at him at that, turning a little to rummage in his bag to take out another box of the dessert Jihoon currently has in his mouth. He nearly tears up at the sight of it.

“Oh my god, I love you,” Jihoon says after swallowing his third Malasada, reaching forward for the box in Daniel’s hand to grab a fourth. They had spent the last two hours swimming around the natural pool and jumping off the waterfall every chance they got. They’re sitting together under the tree-awnings where they left their stuff at now, towels draped over their backs and eating the snacks Daniel had bought for them on the drive here.

“Your mom must feel so fulfilled every time she feeds you, huh?” Daniel says, taking another piece of the dessert himself.

“I actually don’t get to eat much of my mom’s cooking these days.” Jihoon shrugs with nonchalance. “Most of my everyday meals are either take out food or catered. Depends on where and what I’m working on at the moment.”

It’s not really that big of a deal anymore, to him at least. So Jihoon’s a little surprised by the next question out of Daniel’s mouth.

“Is it hard? What you do?”

Jihoon looks up at him then, eyes narrowing a little in thought. “It’s...definitely not as easy as some people think it is,” he says, nodding over his words. “But I do have it easier than most though, so I don’t really think I’m in a position to complain about things being hard.”

Daniel regards him with a look, right before he snickers out a small laugh. “That’s such a celebrity answer.”

Jihoon raises an eyebrow, matching his coy smile. “Why?”

“You’re only human too,” Daniel says, leaning back on his arms cooly. “And like everyone else, you get tired sometimes from your job and responsibilities. You have every right to complain.”

Jihoon faces up and gives him a knowing look, a smile that conveys just a slight hint of naughtiness. “I just said I don’t _ think _ I’m in a position to complain much. Doesn’t mean I don’t actually do it,” he says, finishing off his fourth Malasada in a quick, last bite and chuckling at the expression of approval on Daniel’s face.

“Do you have a lot of friends?”

The next question makes him pause a little, but not in a way that surprises him. “Yeah, I guess,” he answers, shrugging again. “I’m friends with some of the company’s staff, my manager. Then there are a few people I had worked with on past projects, so I think I’m okay on the friend department. Not _ a lot- _a lot but, I got more than enough.”

Daniel nods at him, still retaining his aura of coolness. Jihoon can hear a few birds chirping above them and he can’t help but feel how serene this all is. Not that he doesn’t feel this back at the resort or that it outranks it in any way. It’s just...different. And he likes it.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Now _ that _ question makes him pause. It’s mostly due to instinct, of being protective about his private life, but then one look at Daniel and at the face he’s making brings down his walls in an instant. This isn’t some kind of interview, it’s just a curious question from a curious friend. 

“No,” he says, and he’s not really sure why he laughs a little but he does. “Umm...I don’t know if you know this, but my line of work doesn’t really encourage me to date. Much less _ see _ other people”

“Oh, I know what being an idol entails,” Daniel says surprisingly, looking proud as if he had done his research before asking that. “I just don’t understand why you have to let yourself fall into that trap.”

“What trap?”

Daniel shrugs, a small pout playing on his lips. “Not allowing yourself to fall in love.”

Jihoon looks at him at that, and being the kind of person that he is, it isn’t hard for him to see the shift in Daniel’s demeanor after he says that. And immediately, he knows. He knows he doesn’t like this aspect about people like Jihoon and he knows that he has strong opinions about it too.

“It’s not really about not allowing myself to fall in love, per se. It’s more of...a sense of responsibility.” Jihoon starts, choosing his words carefully. “I’m doing what I’m doing and I am where I am solely because of the love other people give and support me with. And whether I like it or not, the fact is that for a lot of people, one of the reasons why they’re so generous in giving that love away is because I’m single.”

He watches Daniel’s reaction after he says that, checking to see if he had crossed a heated line. It doesn’t seem like it, but he also doesn’t look to be ready to drop the subject just yet.

“Is that really love though?” Daniel counters him, his face morphing into a kind of seriousness he’s never seen yet. “I mean if people really love you, shouldn’t they understand that you’re only human too? That you have your own life away from your job and that you deserve to live it the way _ you _want it? Don’t you think it’s kinda selfish?” 

Jihoon smiles to himself, but more over the fact that he was right about his reading on Daniel. He lets out a small sigh, breaking eye contact so he can idly play with a piece of pebble on the ground.

“It is selfish. And very conditional, if you think about it that way,” he says, slowly tilting his head to the side. “But to me, I think it’s even more selfish to rob people of the happiness they get from this simple aspect about my life. I already receive _ so much _ and it’s really one of the least I could do to repay them.” 

He thinks about how it must look like to someone from the outside, especially to a person as honest and free-willed as Daniel. Jihoon has to admit—and he has before, to himself—that there are things about the world his life revolves around on that he’s not perfectly happy with or agreeable to. He knows that he’s his own person, that he can choose to live and make his own decisions because at the end of the day, it’s _ his _life. 

But that’s not how he wants it to work. Jihoon knows that his decisions aren't merely his own anymore, and that he's privileged enough to affect the lives of others. Some people might say that he doesn't owe anyone anything, but he begs to differ. Even in some small degree, he knows he owes much oh what he has right now to a lot of people.

“I chose this job for myself. It was my decision to pursue this career,” he continues, conviction lacing his tone. “And pretty much how things are with every other kind of job out there, I have to accept the responsibilities that come with it. Even if that means I can't openly date or fall in love with a person until I'm forty. ”

He laughs that last bit out, keeping the tone light. It’s a little freeing, in a sense, to have said that out loud to someone. He’s never had the chance to have this kind of conversation with anyone before, and he feels a little proud of himself that he was able to say his thoughts sincerely. He looks at Daniel and sees that his words have even placated him, if only a little. Jihoon knows he can’t change the opinion of other people overnight, but to come to an understanding—an agreement to disagree—is a lot more than what he can ask for.

"You're very wise, you know." Daniel juts his chin at him, smiling as he does. "For someone your age."

"I'll take it." Jihoon smiles back, his chest light and full. "So is it my turn to ask twenty-questions now?"

He sees him return to his laid back attitude, the side of him that's constantly bright and grinning. "What do you want to know?" Daniel asks, amused.

"I'm just a little confused right now. When we were talking yesterday, I kinda just assumed you were a tourist here like I am," Jihoon says, his brows dipping a little in concentrated thought. "But then today you're driving me around Hawaii as if it was your backyard, talking to the locals like you've known them all your life, and taking me to this deep, hidden jungle to swim in a waterfall.” He recalls all of the events from earlier, everything feeling like a blur despite now probably only being a few hours past lunch time. “So I guess my question now is, where are you really from and how do you know so much about Hawaii?"

Daniel had already been growing a smile about halfway through Jihoon's relayed observation. He laughs out loud now, the sound both drowning and carrying over with the rush of the water beside them. Jihoon waits for him to compose himself, although he has to admit that his own laughter isn't too far behind.

"I know a lot about this place because this is where I grew up," Daniel says when he's sobered up from laughing, and Jihoon can't even hold the look of surprise his face gets when he hears that.

"Really?"

Daniel nods, wiping a few stray tears from the corner of his eyes. "I was born in Busan, but my family moved to Hawaii when I was about five years old. I spent more than half of my life here so...yeah."

If Jihoon's mouth falls open at the sheer size of that brief information, he doesn't think he should be held too accountable for it alone. Daniel's giggling at him again, but a tiny detail suddenly pops up in his head that he can't ignore.

"But you don't live here anymore, do you?" Jihoon asks, and he almost regrets doing so when he sees Daniel's smile falter slightly.

"No, I don't. My parents, umm—actually got a divorce a few years back. My mom's back in South Korea but I live with my dad in L.A." He snorts, and Jihoon can tell by the way he averts his eyes that this topic isn't something he usually talks about. "I'm actually there just to finish school, but I plan to go back to Korea to live with my mom after I graduate. As for me being here right now—well, it’s sorta become a habit for me to drop by here every time I have break from school."

"Oh. And do you always stay at that fancy resort every time you're on break?” Jihoon jokes but to his surprise, Daniel nods again.

"My family owns the resort, actually," he says, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Jihoon can feel his jaw dropping for a second time, coupled with his eyes popping out of their sockets.

“You’re shitting me.”

Daniel grins at him, although a shy one at that. “Nope. That’s why I can afford to stay at the presidential suite for weeks on end. You think my college allowance could even compare to your celebrity bank account?”

“Hey, my company’s paying for that mind you,” Jihoon says, his lips pointing to a pout as he speaks. “I’m not _ that _ rich.”

Daniel sits up from his semi-reclined position and leans forward, scooting just a little closer to him. “I should send a thank you letter to your company then. The profit we’re making out of you is what’s going to feed me for the next month and a half I bet.”

Now it’s Jihoon’s turn to bark out a laugh, uninhibited and straight up with a smile that rubs off on Daniel too. He rarely gets like this anymore, he realizes, and it’s a complete wonder how it comes so easily to him now to be this open.

“Aren’t you going to ask me next if I’m seeing anyone too?” Daniel suddenly asks, a playful look pointing at him.

“Why would I want to know that? I’m not as nosy as you.” Jihoon rolls his eyes, which only seems to egg his friend on—who begins to scoot closer and lean forward until his face rests only a few inches away from his own

“You sure about that?”

And there it is again. That beat, that pulse. That surge of _ something _ spreading through his veins, his bones, setting alight every nerve in his body on fire. Jihoon instinctively pushes himself back and away out of surprise, making whatever face his has on at that moment a complete trigger to have Daniel laughing at him again.

“Oh, Jihoonie. You’re just too cute for your own good,” he says, slapping a palm on his knee. “I’m single too, by the way. But not in the same reasons as you have.”

Jihoon tries to compose himself, thankful that his heart rate is at least returning back to normal. He’s not thinking much of anything when he speaks out a reply, and it’s more of a reflexive response than actual curiosity when he asks, “Why then?”

He’s definitely not curious. Not when Daniel suddenly stops his laughter and not when he makes a rather long pause over the question. Nope, Jihoon is most definitely, a hundred-percent _ not _curious when Daniel just smiles at him and doesn’t give him an answer.

  
  


The sun is halfway through its steady descent from the sky. In just a few more minutes, it’ll become too dark and Jihoon would have to pull his sunglasses off and increase the risk of people seeing his face. They’re at the beach now, and Jihoon’s just there sitting alone on the sand and sipping at a large glass of pineapple juice. He tries his best not to look around but he fails at this task for a third time since sitting here when he scans the area for his friend.

Yet another one of Daniel’s promises to be broken. The beach isn’t _ too- _too packed, but the amount of people mingling and laying about on the sand suddenly has him missing the shroud of privacy back over in the jungle with the waterfall-pool. At least Daniel never left him by himself there.

“Hey, I’m back.”

Speak of the devil. Although in this case, thinking of him is more appropriate.

“Took you long enough. How far is the bathroom even? I saw some outhouses just a few feet from here,” Jihoon says in a hushed tone, wishing Daniel could see the frown under his cheap disguise.

“Sorry, there was a line.”

“Line my ass.” Jihoon tuts, and he rashly scooches closer over to Daniel when a small group of girls suddenly pass by them. “Niel...I don’t feel too comfortable being here,” he finally says, lowering his voice to a whisper, not even trusting how no one can probably even understand them here.

Instead of kidding around, making a sarcastic remark or even just laugh at him like Jihoon expects he would, Daniel just drapes an arm over his shoulder, pulling him closer to his side and lowering his head near his ear.

“Don’t worry Hoonie. No one’s going to see or bother you, okay? We’ll go just after the sun sets.”

The thing is, Jihoon can’t even find it in himself to refuse Daniel of this suggestion. Because for starters, the sunset he just mentioned is absolutely _ beyond _beautiful. It’s unlike anything he’s ever seen before, and words just can’t even begin to describe how breathtaking it all is. So he leans his head on Daniel’s shoulder, taking comfort in the security of his largeness as compared to his body size as he watches the sun slowly disappear on the horizon. 

It all happens in the very next second. The moment darkness blankets the sky, the beach suddenly comes ablaze with tiki torches that illuminate the sand in a rich golden glow. Jihoon jumps a little at how spontaneous it all is, so suffice to say that the next thing that arrives definitely has him unprepared.

The steady beat of a single drum resonates around them, bringing a steady rhythm that has every other person in the immediate vicinity of the beach in attention. Another kind of drum joins in a few beats later, the sound coming out more ethnic and wooden—greatly complimenting the already present rhythm. When Jihoon starts to look around the area, the realization of what’s happening dawns on him like the setting of the sun just a few seconds ago. 

The tiki torches aren’t randomly placed around the beach like he had initially thought because it’s deliberately encircling an area of sand that’s void of other beach goers. And over to the side is where he sees the instruments producing the drumming sound, playing a melody in a tune. Jihoon doesn’t have to think too hard now. There’s going to be some sort of performance.

The sound of a ukulele and a few other string instruments join the percussions not a second later, and then four, sun-kissed burly men suddenly take up the expanse of the empty space of sand in the middle of the gathering crowd. They start to move with the music, upbeat and folky that immediately has Jihoon’s head bobbing along. 

“You should take these off,” Daniel whispers from beside him, and Jihoon looks to see him pointing at his sunglasses. He’s right though, it’s too dark for them now and Jihoon really wants to see the performance with his eyes.

He removes them just in time, because when he brings his attention back to the dancers, sparks begin to fly and embers light up the contours of their bodies as they start to dance with twirls of flame. The music changes a bit too, adding to it a small choir on the side chanting out a song in their native language that doesn’t fail to give chills under Jihoon’s skin. 

The fire dancing comes to a steady close after a while but the song shifts and introduces the light feathery voices of children joining in song. The male dancers take the backseat then, because the number now brings in the women of the ensemble. To say that he’s mesmerized would be too much of an understatement, almost an insult to the performers, because in all his life Jihoon has never seen anything like this.

Grass skirts sway and jolt, twirl and bounce in tune to the beat of the music and song in the very skilled movements of the Hula dancers. Jihoon himself knows and prides himself a little over his skills of dance, but here in this moment is when he thinks how he’s got nothing compared to the artistry of these women. The chant of the choir, the bass of the drums, and the visual prowess of the dancers overwhelm his senses so much that he doesn’t even notice it happening until it’s too late.

The music is shifting again, reaching a high that’s telling of a near end for the performance. Except it isn’t the only thing that shifts, because Jihoon then realizes that Daniel is removing his arm from where it’s been snuggled over his shoulder the entire time. He realizes the Daniel’s making a move to get up, unbuttoning his shirt in the process and leaving it to fall on Jihoon’s lap. He doesn’t even have time to even think about what’s happening because Daniel is walking over to the center of the performance, turning around to face the crowd and winking at Jihoon’s general direction before he too, joins the ensemble. 

Jihoon is smiling, gasping out gleeful breaths of air and smiling even more that he feels like his cheeks are about to tear. The crowd is clapping their hands in tune to the beat, adding another layer of atmospheric stimuli that Jihoon can’t help but join in with. He has his eyes on Daniel, upfront and center and complimenting the moves of all the other dancers as if he’d been dancing with them all this time from the very beginning. He watches him move, watches the torch-lights paint the muscles on his body in honey-colored hues. He watches the drive on his face, the passion for what he’s doing and for the second time that day—and Jihoon really doesn’t know how to explain it—he feels himself falling.

The music ends and the performance wraps up with a chant in the language he doesn’t even know how to understand. But he’s clapping along, standing up from his seat in slight unison with the other viewers and giving his all in applause for the man whose eyes and smile never leave his own.

  
  


“You’re always just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Jihoon hears the telltale sound produced by short puffs of breath that he knows by now could only be Daniel's light laughter. He doesn't need to look over beside him to check, focusing instead on the snow-cone he's eating as he leans his weight back on the hood of their buggy.

"Good surprises though, I hope?" 

Jihoon snorts out a sarcastic huff, but gives him a reassuring nod nonetheless. "Where did you learn to dance like that? You're really good."

“Ah,” Daniel doubles over, making an exaggerated motion to put a hand over his chest in light spirit. “The validation of a national hallyu star. I think my life is complete.”

Jihoon snickers, nudging an elbow beside him when Daniel joins him in laughter. It’s so easy to be a little unguarded, now that they’re alone by themselves again on this small cliffside by the road where Daniel’s driven them to. Admittedly it was really fun down at the beach, but Jihoon always did have a preference for the quiet and private. The introvert in him, he guesses.

“I’ve always loved dancing,” Daniel says just before he takes a bite of his own snowcone. “I learned to dance early on here in Hawaii, and ever since I guess I just never let the passion for it go. I’m majoring in modern dance now back at my university in L.A.”

“Wow.” Jihoon blinks at him, and he’s beginning to think if there will ever come a time when he’s not left feeling wonderstruck by everything that comes out of Daniel’s mouth. “That’s...amazing. And it really shows too. Earlier, I mean—you really looked like you were having fun.”

Daniel nods, chortling through his nose. “It helps that I managed to impress a certain idol. You should’ve seen the look on your face when I stood up to join the crew earlier.”

Jihoon smiles, remembering the moment from earlier. He can’t even get himself to snark back something sarcastic to play off his feelings down. 

“Thank you,” he says in a quiet voice, eyes facing the view of the sea and the moon in front of them. “For taking me to all these places today. I really had a good time. This is probably the best day of my entire vacation.”

“Don’t say that too soon,” Daniel replies, and Jihoon can hear the smirk in his words. “You still have two days left on your trip right? You never know what else could happen.”

Jihoon faces him then, a laugh in his chest. “Is that a challenge?”

“Maybe.” Daniel shrugs, matching his expression with a knowing smile. “But I’m glad you had fun today. It was my pleasure, showing you around my home.”

The way Daniel says that, in earnest and sincerity, sinks so deep inside Jihoon that he feels his heart grow full with contentment. He can’t imagine now how his day would’ve turned out if he had said no to getting on this buggy with him this morning—although something tells him that even if he hadn’t, Daniel still would’ve found a way to make his day special.

They sit in silence for a little while, a comfortable kind that allows them to hear the breeze passing through their ears and the songs the cicadas sing amongst the trees. If he were to pick his most favorite moments of today, it will always undoubtedly be the likes of what they’re doing right now. An appreciation of the quiet, with warm conversations about everything and nothing. Jihoon feels that it’s in moments like this that really bring out how special things are, how much he’s given the chance to appreciate. It’s only around the time he’s finished eating his snowcone that the quiet is broken by Daniel’s low voice.

“I’m waiting,” he says. So out of the blue and out of context that Jihoon turns to look at him in question, a little surprised to see a tone of seriousness painting his face.

“Sorry?”

Daniel doesn’t answer right away and instead sucks in his bottom lip in between his teeth. From this angle, Jihoon can see how his two front ones protrude farther than the rest of them, making him look like a bunny. 

“You’re question earlier...at the waterfall,” he continues, slowly drawing out the words in hesitation. “You asked why I’m still single. The answer is ‘cause I’m waiting.”

“Oh.” Jihoon blinks a little in surprise. He’d be lying if he said that the lack of an answer earlier hadn’t been swimming around his mind longer than what’s respectably acceptable for merely curiosity’s sake. But he’s not thinking about it anymore now, and the sudden emergence of the topic has him nothing but piqued again that he can’t help but ask.

“Waiting for what?”

Another long pause, to the point where Jihoon begins to think that he might not be getting an answer to it either. He doesn't push him though despite weirdly feeling so anxious about it. He doesn't know why but the feeling is what it is. When Daniel quietly sighs, he feels himself let go of a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"I'm waiting for the other person to fall in love with me too."

For some unknown, unexplainable reason, Jihoon feels his chest lurch and drop on that statement. A picture of a beautiful girl conjures up at the forefront of his mind, dazzling and captivating. The singular idea that she gets to be the main cause for this person's bunny-smile and the constant disappearance of his eyes has Jihoon feeling something he’s not too sure he likes. A rising bitterness climbs its way up his throat, one that he slightly fails at tamping down.

"Why hasn't she then?" Jihoon asks, although the question comes out sounding more like a rebuttal than anything. Quite unexpectedly though, Daniel laughs.

"I don't know if I'm just being delusional, but I think the person already has," Daniel says, and Jihoon can feel rather than see him turning on his side to face him. "_ He _ just doesn't know it yet."

The whole atmosphere changes then, quick and instant without any preamble. Like the earth just suddenly decided to upturn on its own axis and spin the other direction, letting a different light shine on things and giving different meanings to simple words. Jihoon can feel Daniel's gaze boring on the right side of his face, evidenced by the way he can feel a generous amount of heat climbing its way up from his neck. He doesn't dare turn to face him though, afraid of what he might see.

"There’s one more surprise I was planning to give you, actually. Before the day ends." Daniel continues over his silence, his voice going back to a low timber. "But...I think it'd be better to ask you first, rather than actually surprise you."

It's there again, in the way his heart pumps strongly and madly in the caverns of his chest. That familiar and alien surge of _ something _ that doesn't shy over making itself known to every part of his body. This time it incapacitates him—forming a lump in his throat and cutting his ability for speech. Tampering the cells in his brain and blocking out any form of coherence. It's overwhelming, and Daniel's voice coming so close to his ear is not in the least bit helping.

"Jihoon."

He doesn’t know what’s different about it this time, but the way Daniel said his name just then has some sort of pull on him that it makes him move, makes him turn his head to the side and finally face him. He’s close—_ so _ close—that all Jihoon can focus on is the immediate image of his face. At the small mole just beneath his right eye, at the way his brows dip ever so slightly with the weight of hesitation, and at his lips that voice out everything he was and wasn’t expecting.

“Can I kiss you?”

It all clicks then. All the crypticness of his words, all the gestures he’s so unabashedly shown, all the moments he so generously shared—it’s all clear in the singular question. What isn’t clear though is why Jihoon wants to say yes. Why his body is so desperately _ screaming _ for him to move the last couple of inches forward, bridge the already minuscule gap between them, and taste the feel of this boy’s lips on his own. He doesn’t understand why his heart suddenly feels like it’s on the verge of rupturing, from being filled with something he has never felt before. 

The confusion makes him blink, twice. The feeling sweeping through his mind and clearing out every single thought that he’s fighting so hard to keep a hold on. He knows what he wants, just as much as he knows what his want entails and what it means for them. He knows that what he wants isn’t _ right _, so he takes a deep breath and takes a step back.

“W-we should...we should get back to the hotel now,” he says to the ground, but not before he sees the millisecond of hurt that flashes through Daniel’s eyes. The way the light snuffs out in their depths, contorting his face in a way that only he can see.

“Okay,” he says, not wasting time and going around to take his place behind the wheel of the buggy. Jihoon stays rooted in his spot for a few seconds more staring at nothing in particular, before he too follows suit and straps himself in.

The entire drive back has him facing the opposite end of the vehicle as much as his seat would allow him. He’d done the same earlier in the day only this time, it’s not really the rush and the view of the world he’s after. 

The drive feels a whole lot longer than it actually is, but they're soon doing the motions and parking along the driveway of the hotel entrance. They're welcomed by the front desk staff, and Daniel says something to them in English that Jihoon doesn't even bother himself on translating. All he wants now is to get past the excruciating part where they have to ride the lift together, walk along the long hallway of their floor until they reach the doors to their respective rooms across from each other.

Jihoon's already fishing for his card key, slotting it on the high-tech door lock when Daniel calls out his name again, turning to see him doing the exact same thing he's doing.

"Goodnight," is all he says, even though Jihoon's spent so much time with him now to know that there's more he wants to say than that. 

"Goodnight." He replies, turning back around and entering his own room before he too, starts to roll off on things he can't but wants to say. It's only when the door shuts and clicks and finality, that he allows himself to slide down to the floor and bury his face in his hands.

  
  


***

  
  


For the first time since stepping foot in Hawaii, Jihoon wakes up feeling an extreme sense of revulsion on the prospect of leaving the comforts of his bed. He pulls his covers all the way over himself, blocking out the bright tropical sun and tries his best to fall back to sleep. Unfortunately, as it is the case in this universe, the harder you try to force yourself to sleep, the more you end up staying awake. He gives up after what feels like a very long hour, throwing his blankets away and groping his bedside table for his phone. 

The digital numbers on the screen tell him that it’s only nine in the morning, and that he has one missed call from his mom. What really throws him off though isn’t in any of the written information that’s present on his phone, but more on the visual aspect that greets him. He only remembers because he’s looking at it now, that he had changed his phone wallpaper yesterday to the photo he took in the woods with the waterfall. And just as much he remembers replacing his wallpaper comes the memory of how he took it in the first place.

The sunlight illuminating the waters at just the right angle, hitting the spot where a single person with blue board shorts can be seen floating face-up on the surface of the pool near the edge of the frame. Jihoon hits the button on the side that turns his screen black, throws his phone on the bed and sighs out in frustration.

He doesn't even want to _ consider _ thinking about a certain person right now, and it's only making his chest hurt in a dull kind of ache knowing that said person is quite literally just across his own room. He feels his stomach rumble, and the idea of going out and heading to the usual breakfast buffet has now become a thing that terrifies him. 

Jihoon sits up from his bed, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, and calls for room service.

  
  


It’s around noon when he finally runs out of things to do. 

He’d been keeping himself busy for the most part, to keep his mind active and constantly running so as to avoid thoughts he doesn’t want to entertain. After he had finished his room-delivered breakfast, Jihoon went about to begin packing his bags. Tomorrow marks his last full day in Hawaii, and he flies back to Korea on the next so he’s used the time to gather all his used clothes from his hamper, separate it from what he’ll probably use the next few days, and meticulously fold each and every one of them before placing them inside his luggage.

He had cleaned his room next, although there’s really not much in that task besides making his bed and organizing his stuff at the vanity. He went into the shower a little while after, only to realize that containing himself within the four walls of his large, marbled ensuite is tantamount to subjecting himself in a padded mental hospital room with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. Suffice to say, he had quite literally taken the fastest shower he’s ever had in his life.

He had tried playing every game he has on his phone, and even went as far as to reading his company emails, downloading the softcopy of the script of the new movie he’s set to work on and reading the entire thing in one sitting. Jihoon may or may not have screamed a little in agony at the realization that even after all those menial distractions, the clock only points at twelve.

He allows himself the small freedom of the outside world then at the comforts of his room’s balcony. The air outside feels so much different than the cool, artificial one in his bedroom, and the view of the sea has him yearning to go down and touch the waters and sand with his bare feet. He chuckles a little darkly to himself then, laughing at how he’s literally at an island paradise while at the same time subjecting himself to imprisonment all because he’s avoiding a guy. If they ever ask Jihoon for any ideas or concepts for his music videos in the future, he’d have this particular moment on his list of suggestions.

Jihoon only really gives up on his pointless means to distract himself from confronting his own thoughts when he receives a text from his mom again, asking him to give her a call when he’s free. Jihoon doesn’t even hesitate to bring up the video chat on his phone and hit the first person on top of his recent conversations. His mom picks up on the second ring.

“Jihoon-ah, aloha!” 

Jihoon chuckles and smiles at the image of his mom on his screen, even though she’s been greeting him that way ever since he came here. “Hi, mom.”

Because a mother’s intuition is never really affected and bounded by the constraints of distance and time, it only really takes her a second to change the expression on her face. From a huge smile to a slightly worried one, present in the way her eyebrows slightly dip and how the tone of her voice shifts to something Jihoon has heard her use much throughout his life.

“Oh, Jihoon-ah. What’s wrong?”

And it’s in that single question, at the voice of the person he always draws his strength from, is what instantly breaks down his walls to rubble and the facade of fineness to vanish. It’s in that moment of vulnerability, with his voice coming our broken and raspy, that Jihoon begins to shed his first tear for the boy who had captured his heart.

“Eomma...what do I do?”

  
  


The sun is already beginning to set when Jihoon’s feet finally touches sand for the first time since waking up today. It’s technically been twenty-four hours now, and it all feels a little overwhelming for him to think how at exactly around this time yesterday, he had been watching the same sunset and sitting cross-legged at another beach on a different part of the island. There were more people there than, a lot louder than the quiet and privacy of the one he stands on now. But the biggest difference of all is that he isn’t sitting flush against the side of another person who has an arm around his shoulders.

He sighs, crouching down to the ground to grab and hold his flip-flops in his hand as he begins to stroll the expanse of the private beach. He feels lighter now than he did hours before, and he relishes in this weightlessness with every footprint he leaves on the sea-kissed sand. He loses himself over the sound of the waves lapping on the shore, on the softness of the grains his feet touch. By no means did he come here right now for any particular reason other than to relax near the sunset, but just as his coming to Hawaii had been, his path is crossed in sheer unexpectedness.

He’s there just ahead of him, sitting on the sand at just a few inches away from where the waves reach their foamy limits. He looks to be watching the sunset too, which by now has all but sunken deep beyond the horizon they’re on. The lightness Jihoon had been feeling up to this moment turns into something palpably alive at the sight of him, but he doesn’t shy away from it right now and instead, he walks forward.

“Hi.”

He doesn’t miss the genuine look of surprise on Daniel’s face when he looks up to the sound of his voice. His eyes widen a little, his jaw going slack with the lack of words to say. 

“Can I sit with you?” Jihoon continues in his silence, feeling a small sense of relief when Daniel nods at him. He takes his place beside him then, careful to keep a moderate distance between their bodies.

For a while that’s all they do, sit with each other’s presence and listening to the waves and subtle froth coming from the water. The cloudless sky is slowly playing out colors of pinks and oranges, violets and blues that will soon make way for the twinkling of stars. Jihoon sees something moving along the shoreline, a small hermit crab, and he watches it walk along the coast until it disappears from his line of sight before he speaks again.

“I’m sorry,” he says, the words quiet and easily carried over by the waves of the sea. Daniel turns his head to him, apprehensive.

“What for?”

“For avoiding you today,” Jihoon says with a small nod, mostly to himself. “For how I acted last night. For—”

“You don’t have to patronize me Jihoon,” Daniel cuts him off, his voice hardening with hurt. “I can take a hint. It’s fine.”

Jihoon bites his lips, looking down at his hands in shame. He plays with the sand and runs them through his fingers, letting them slip and fall back to the earth.

“I’m sorry—”

“Can you please stop apologizing?” Daniel is facing him again, and the way his voice falters on that last bit sends a sharp sting on the side of Jihoon’s chest, one so unexpected that he almost feels all the wind get knocked out of him. He lets the feelings pass first, lets it slip through his system like the sand on his fingers.

“Is it too late then?” Jihoon asks the ground, a whisper of hesitation. He feels Daniel turning his face back to the sea.

“Too late for what?”

“To give you an answer,” Jihoon says with conviction this time, as quiet as his voice will allow. “For your question last night. Because if it is—if I am too late—I’d like to ask one of my own.”

That catches him off guard, and the confusion and surprise on Daniel’s face when he turns to look back at him again is so evident, so real, that Jihoon feels all the motivation he needs to quell it.

“What do you mean?” Daniel voices it out, and Jihoon finally looks up and straightens his back, facing him and meeting his eyes.

“Can I kiss you Daniel?”

The first reaction he sees crossing his face besides the initial surprise is disbelief. It only lasts a solid second, making way for hesitation and doubt to mar his features. Jihoon can’t and doesn’t blame him because he has every right to feel that way after what he did last night—just how he has every right to say no and hurt him like the way he had done.

But Daniel doesn’t, and instead, Jihoon watches him purse his lips in a silent decision. He watches him start to scoot over, cutting the distance between them until their arms brush with electricity running through their skin. Daniel’s face comes closer—closer—until his breathing wafts across Jihoon face and he’s all he can feel and see. He begins to lean forward, eyes drooping when their lips become a mere hairs width apart and then—he stops.

Jihoon keeps his eyes open, much how Daniel has as well. They stare at each other for what feels like an eon until Jihoon realizes what he’s doing. He’s giving him the final chance to back out, to pull himself away, to take it back and figure out what he really wants to happen. Daniel is putting a guard to his own heart and letting him handle the rest, as if he’s handing it to him with one arm still holding the other.

It only takes a second, for Jihoon to think back to what his mom had told him earlier. For him to remind himself that despite his responsibilities, his job, his place in life—he’s still also human. That much like this entire trip to the Hawaiian islands, letting himself fall for this boy who has so willingly given himself to him despite his shortcomings, isn’t an act of irresponsibility or a form of betrayal for the other people who love him. He came to Hawaii as Park Jihoon, not the idol nor the actor in front of the cameras, but as the twenty-year old boy who wants to experience life. It only takes him a second, a blink of an eye and half the time it takes for the waves of the sea to even reach halfway their limit, for him to bridge the gap and feel Daniel’s lips on his own.

  
  


“You’re allergic to seafood??”

Daniel only laughs at him—a sound Jihoon didn’t even realize he had missed—as they flip through the pages of their menu.

“I am. I can eat fishes in small amounts but I’m deathly allergic to shellfish. So that one’s a no.”

“So you can’t eat crabs? Or lobsters?” Jihoon asks incredulously, shaking his head in disbelief just thinking about the dishes he’s missing out on. “But you’re from Hawaii. How are you allergic to seafood?”

“I ask myself that question all the time,” Daniel says, laughing some more.

“Then I guess I’ll order something sea-free then,” Jihoon says, eyes going back to the menu.

“Hey now. Don’t stop yourself from eating what you want on my account.”

But Jihoon isn’t listening to him and in fact, is already eyeing a very delicious-looking photo of a ribeye steak on the page he’s on. “I know. But I plan to feed you some of my food and I can’t be spooning you something you’ll die on.”

That about shuts him up and rolls his eyes in the process, but Jihoon doesn’t miss the slight tinge the tips of his ears bloom with over what he just said. Jihoon gets his ribeye steak and Daniel smiles over his rather huge serving of spaghetti carbonara, which he says is his favorite dish that their chef makes here. 

“I have something to tell you,” Daniel says midway through their meal, prompting Jihoon to look up in curiosity. “I...kinda lied to you about something.”

That gets him to raise an eyebrow, and he swallows his food and takes a sip of coconut juice before he says, “About what?”

Daniel’s ears are turning pink again, averting his gaze. “Remember the first time you talked to me? We were outside and you thought I was taking your picture?”

Jihoon blinks, a little taken aback because it was not at all what he was expecting. “Yeah?”

Daniel bites his lip then, revealing his bunny teeth as the red of his ears start to spread over to his cheeks. “Well, I kinda did take your photo back then. But just one! And I swear I really didn’t know who you were at the time!”

Jihoon tips a chin up for himself, proud. He’s never been wrong to assume when people are taking stolen shots of him before.

“If you didn’t know who I was, why take my photo in the first place?” This time he feels a smile growing, amused at how Daniel is absolutely folding in over himself out of embarrassment.

“I thought you looked cute. And I knew you were a celebrity and I kinda wanted to show your picture to my friends over at the front desk so I could get your name.”

At that Jihoon doesn’t hold back anymore and just lets out his wheezing laughter, much to Daniel’s humiliation. “Can I see?”

“See what?”

“The photo you took. I wanna see.”

Daniel begins to frown at him, narrowing his eyes in suspicion before reluctantly fishing his phone out of his pocket. He fumbles with it for a few seconds to get to his gallery, and passes it over on the table for Jihoon to see. And sure enough, there he is, wearing the clothes he wore on his third day here and looking over to the side with two piña coladas in front of him. 

“Hmm. You could do better than this.” Jihoon hums, closing the gallery app on Daniel’s phone and launching his camera. He ignores the surprised look he’s getting from him and proceeds to stretch his arm away from him to pose for a selfie.

“There. This looks better.” He hands over Daniel’s phone back, laughing again at his flushed face.

The rest of their dinner go smoothly and with Jihoon ending up eating a large portion of Daniel’s meal than he intended. On their way out and about to pay, Daniel stops him from getting his wallet out and tells him that it’s his treat since it’s their very first dinner date.

“You do realize that your chivalry doesn’t really count in this situation,” Jihoon says, smirking as they walk out of the restaurant.

“Why not?”

“You don’t even have to really pay for anything. You’re the owner’s son!”

“Shhh. Details Hoonie. Details.”

The laughter and easygoing nature of their mood and conversation follows them throughout their aimless stroll around the grounds of the resort, following warmly-lit pathways while Daniel points at all his favorite hang-out spots in the estate.

“That’s where I go when the weather is nice in the afternoon. The wind blows really cool there and the sun doesn’t hit the spot as much. And over there is where I go to sit if I wanna play games.”

“Hmm? Why there?” Jihoon wonders aloud, facing Daniel’s knowing smirk.

“It’s the only spot outside with good wi-fi.”

They’ve circled the entire resort in a timeless daze by the time some of the lights around the public facilities of hotel start to turn off for the night. Jihoon had just finished telling Daniel about the new film he’s going to star in when the older boy suddenly pulls him sideways through a few shrubs of plants that takes them to a small patio where the only light source it receives is from the moon’s reflection on the sea.

“Daniel, wha—”

“Can I kiss you?”

Jihoon blinks up at him, a bit surprised and feeling slightly warm over at the spot where Daniel’s hands are resting on his waist.

“You don’t have to keep asking every time you want to, you know.”

But Daniel only chuckles at him, and all too soon Jihoon’s taken on an emotional and physical ride again when Daniel’s lips collide with his own. It’s only the third after the two times Daniel’s kissed him at the beach earlier, but Jihoon is beginning to notice that no matter how many times Daniel kisses him, the feeling takes him further and further than the one that came before it. 

The mad rush of his heart pounding in his chest that he can hear blaring inside his ears whenever Daniel moves his lips ever so slightly against his own. The warmth of that same something he felt yesterday when Daniel had taken him to jump at the waterfall for the first time, when they spent the afternoon in the same woods sitting close to each other, and when Daniel had confessed how he was waiting for Jihoon to fall in love with him. He feels the surge of it travelling in his veins in tune with their kiss, lighting up every nerve in his body that could very well put the similar feeling he gets whenever he’s performing on stage to shame.

It’s in this very feeling that gives him the reason to know that he will always answer yes whenever Daniel asks him.

It’s near midnight by the time they make their way back to their rooms, both of them tired after having strolled the entire property a good three times. Jihoon doesn’t mind though, not when Daniel had kissed him just as much as that amount while having spent the whole excursion with their hands intertwined. 

They stop at the same time in the middle of the hallway where their doors face each other, and Jihoon looks up to find Daniel smiling fondly at him, one that fills him up with a kind of fullness he’s never experienced before.

“Goodnight, Hoonie.” He brings their hands up, leaving a chaste kiss on Jihoon’s before he pulls away.

“Goodnight, Niel.”

They take a few more seconds, staring at each other like lovesick high schoolers before they turn around at the same time and unlock their doors to settle for the night. Jihoon leans his body against the back when the automatic lock clicks, putting a hand over his chest as if to feel just how strong and heavy his heart is beating. He closes his eyes, counts the pulses while imagining the way Daniel’s lips have felt on his and the warmth his large hands bring when they touch his skin. It arouses something in Jihoon that’s not at all foreign to him, and it only takes a couple of seconds more before he’s turning around again, unlocking the door and rushing out to take the few steps to cross to the next room.

His hands are already poised to knock by the time Daniel opens up his door too, looking just a frantic and hopelessly rattled like he imagines his own appearance must be like. Jihoon’s heart doesn’t slow down, not when Daniel chuckles at him and gives him a wanton smile. Not when he stands aside to let him enter his room. Not when Daniel pushes him against the door with his lips, and not for the rest of the night when they fall into his bed.

  
  


***

  
  


For the second time since stepping foot in Hawaii, Jihoon wakes up feeling an extreme sense of revulsion on the prospect of leaving the comforts of his bed. He opens his eyes a little and immediately, he notices two things. One is the realization that this is not his bed, it just happens to look and feel very identical to his own in every way possible. Second is that, maybe, the bed doesn’t actually feel _ exactly _the same, not when the sleeping figure of another person makes the comforts of the sheets all that much nicer.

He shifts his weight carefully, turning to his side in the slightest of movements so as not to wake the other person up. He thinks the small amount of effort is quite worth it though, when he’s then given the breathtaking view that is of a sleeping Daniel.

Even in his sleep he looks happy and smiling, with his eyes softly closed and his mouth slightly open. Jihoon laughs a little to himself when he catches him grinding his teeth together, and he knows without a doubt that—like all things Daniel does—this is another habit Jihoon will grow to love about him.

_ Like _, rather. That’s what he meant, just like. 

It isn’t long before his private show comes to an end and he begins to see Daniel’s eyes fluttering open. His immediate expression turns into a frown then, confused and maybe a little disoriented for why there’s another person in his bed staring at him like some creepy maniac. The sound of his laughter must do it for him though, because the expression on Daniel’s face then morphs into comprehension, his bunny teeth flashing in the next second.

“Good morning,” he says, and if Jihoon ever denies that his sleep-drunk, low and raspy voice doesn’t tug at something in him—well, no one has to know that he’s lying.

“Morning.”

They don’t move, not a muscle and not an inch. Jihoon feels a flush creeping up his face then over the idea that Daniel is probably staring at him in the same way he had been just a few seconds ago when he was still asleep. It makes him smile, wide enough for Daniel to snicker out a soft laugh.

“What?”

He shakes his head, his eyes turning into deep crescents. “I just can’t believe I fucked with Park Jihoon. Here in my hotel bed.”

Jihoon doesn’t think it too harsh when he slaps Daniel’s bare skin at that from under the blankets, and he doesn’t think he minds it too when Daniel uses his attack to grab on to his arm and pull him closer to him.

“What time is it?” Daniel asks, voice muffled by the crook of Jihoon’s shoulder. His breath tickles him a little, but he turns around slightly to check the wall clock.

“Wow. It’s almost noon.” Jihoon muses. “I didn’t realize we were out cold that long.”

“That’s because _ someone _wanted me to keep pounding him even though he already came three times and it was already four in the morning.” Daniel laughs, more so when Jihoon slaps him on the thigh.

“And where was this kind of complaint when _ someone _was down on all fours and practically begging me to keep going?”

Daniel laughs again, and the huff of his breath comes out in staccatos that has Jihoon laughing too in a tickle. They stay like that for a while, running their hands on each other’s skin while Jihoon plays with the locks of Daniel’s brown hair and he in turn is left with small trails of lips up and down his neck. Their little moment is aptly broken though, when the unmistakable sound of a stomach churn echoes from under the covers.

“We should eat now,” Jihoon says, slightly pulling Daniel away from him, who only goes to cling to him more.

“Don’t listen to my stomach Hoonie. I don’t wanna leave the bed yet.”

“Lunch is almost over Niel. C’mon, time to get up.”

“Can’t I just eat you instead?”

That makes him pause, and he’s sort of glad that Daniel is currently burying his face on his shoulder so he wouldn’t catch him blushing. “Daniel—”

“You’re leaving tomorrow,” he says, baby-voiced but with the weight of a hundred elephants in the room. Daniel looks up then, meets his eyes and the reality in them. Jihoon sighs.

“We still have to eat Niel. How about we just order room service? Then we’ll have it on your bed.”

“Only if you promise I can have you for dessert.”

There’s no way Jihoon is able to hide himself blushing at that, but he doesn’t think it ends up being too bad, especially not when Daniel gives him a light laugh and a peck on the lips in return.

They eat their brunch in bed after the hotel staff delivers what they ordered, and Daniel gets his fix on Jihoon almost immediately right after just like he said he would. The rest of the afternoon is then spent with them just snuggling on each other’s presence, still as raw, primal, and butt-naked as they were since the previous night’s escapades.

It’s all in good nature and laziness, and Jihoon doesn’t think it’s a complete waste of a day when Daniel uses that time to ask Jihoon about his family. He tells him about his mom and his dad, his hyung, and his dog Max. He shows him the pictures he has of them on his phone, along with the short videos and clips he’s recorded of small, precious moments with them. 

He uses that time too, to ask Daniel about his own family, where he gets to know that his relationship with his dad is a little more professional than parently, and how much he loves his mom to the very core of his being. He shows him his cats, the two that he had adopted in an animal shelter in L.A. that now stays with him in his apartment. Daniel shows him pictures of his friends, both the ones in America and Korea, giving him a window of his life outside Hawaii.

It’s well into the afternoon when they finally decide to leave the pillows and comforters to go do one final activity on Daniel’s suggestion. But not before they spend another hour in the ensuite bathroom doing more than a few activities besides showering.

“Have you ever ridden one of these before?” Daniel now tells him where they stand on the beach, board shorts and rashguards on under a padded lifevest.

“Yeah. I rode one on Thailand once while I was doing a summer package project,” Jihoon says, eyeing the familiar curves and handles of the jetski Daniel is preparing. “I think I still remember how to drive one too.”

The sound of the engine revving and coming to life blares on their ears, and Daniel takes his seat up front and pats the space behind his back with a grin. “Alright hop on. Let’s go!”

Jihoon does as he’s told and climbs on board with him, wrapping both arms tight around Daniel’s torso and leaning forward in his seat. He doesn’t tell anyone that he’s doing the last thing unnecessarily as a means to place himself closer to him, but he thinks Daniel already knows this without him saying.

“Hold on tight, Jihoonie.” He revs up the engine some more, a smile in his voice. Jihoon comes back at him with his voice raised to be heard.

“I will!”

They’re off and riding the waves in a matter of seconds, bouncing along crests and troughs that the wind throws at them with the sea. Jihoon hears Daniel yelling in excitement in front of him, and he can’t help but grin and laugh and be completely unbothered by the salty sea water splashing into his mouth. He looks back after a while, seeing how far they’ve gone when the resort and the beach they ported at looks like a faraway dot on the horizon.

“Jihoon! Look!”

Daniel’s voice catches his attention to look forward again, and immediately his heart spikes at what he sees. There are two dolphins—actual live dolphins!—jumping out of the water and swimming along with them as they cut through the sea. Jihoon thinks he screams something out of excitement too but the sound is drowned by the jetski and Daniel’s loud laughter.

They start to slow down after what feels like a few miles, where there’s nothing but water all around them in whichever direction Jihoon looks. He checks down at the dark blue of the water, his hands coming to clutch tighter around Daniel’s torso on instinct.

“Hey, hey. I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not,” Jihoon replies, and he finds that he actually means it. He isn’t afraid with him.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Daniel muses, and with the jetski’s engine stopped, he can afford to have his voice low without being unheard. “I think this is my favorite part about Hawaii, to be honest. Or any other place, for that matter.”

Jihoon hums, blinking in question. “What is it?”

“The water.” Daniel answers, eyes gazing deeply on the far reaches of the sea. “I’ve always loved the water. The sea. I guess it’s more of an acquired preference, considering I’ve lived here, Busan, and L.A. I don’t know, there’s just something about the water that draws me to it.”

“Maybe you’re actually a mermaid and you just don’t know it.” Jihoon laughs, his gaze following Daniel’s. The sky has receded from it’s bright blue to a pale kind of mixture of white and yellow, signaling the sun about to set.

“If I was a mermaid, I’d kiss you and turn you into one as well so we can both escape our two-legged lives and live in the sea.”

“Do mermaid powers even work that way?”

Daniel shrugs, shoulders shaking in a small laugh. “‘Guess we’ll have to ask a mermaid first then.”

They fall back into the kind of silence that they always revert to, this time the surrounding atmosphere filling them with quiet laps of water and the breeze of the ocean from afar passing through their ears. It’s in this silence then, when it all comes crashing down on Jihoon. The reality of what awaits them when they finally go back ashore.

“I’m going to miss you,” Daniel says, in a timely manner that feels like he’s read what's on his mind. His tone of voice snaps something up in Jihoon—choking him raw and constricting his chest in a dull kind of ache that when he feels Daniel turning around in his seat to face him, he hugs his arms tighter around his torso and keeps him in place.

“Don’t turn around,” Jihoon says, lowering his voice deeper to keep himself firm. “You think I won’t miss you too?”

He feels Daniel chuckle, staying in the position he's held at but using his own arms to wrap themselves around his own. "You have no idea how much it makes me happy Hoonie, to know that you'll miss me too."

With Daniel's back turned and with practically no one else to see them in an immediate fifty-mile radius, Jihoon lets his walls and inhibitions go and just gives in to the weight of his emotions. For the second time in his life, Jihoon lets himself shed tears for the boy who's captured his heart.

"I don't want to go back," he says, his voice betraying him as he presses his face against Daniel's back, muffled and weak. "I want to stay here. With you." In a sort of expected way, he's not in the least bit surprised when Daniel chuckles.

"C'mon Hoonie. You don't mean that."

"And how are you so sure that I don't?"

He feels Daniel's hands snaking their way into his where they rest on his abs, interlocking their fingers and clasping their palms. "Because you miss your family. And you love your job and your fans with all your heart."

_ I love you _, is what he wants to say to that, but he bites his tongue and keeps himself from saying something that he knows will only hurt them both. He's all but given up on not letting Daniel know that he's crying, but the prideful stoic in him still keeps him in his reins.

"What would you do, if I wasn't who I am?" Jihoon starts, the smallest of flinches on Daniel's shoulder making it known that the question surprises him.

"Jihoon…"

"Tell me." He stays firm, even though his voice cracks and his arms start to shake. "What would you do?"

He doesn't get an answer right away, and they just continue to steadily sway and bounce along with the motions of the water. Jihoon's tears never cease even in the long pause Daniel gives them, and the answer only comes after he hears him clear his throat.

"I'd ask you to stay with me in Hawaii a bit more, let you move into my room so you won't have to pay for anything. The presidential suite is expensive you know? And if you're not a celebrity you definitely can't afford to stay there."

The lightness of the statement gets the both of them to laugh, a genuine kind that lifts some of the heaviness off their shoulders.

"Then I'd ask you to come with me to L.A., so you can live with me in my apartment with Peter and Ori," Daniel continues, his chest taking a shuddering breath. "We can live together while I finish my last semester in school. You can find a part-time job for a while or maybe even take a few English classes."

Jihoon closes his eyes, picturing it. Walking around Daniel's apartment, cooking him meals while he's off at school and welcoming him home when he's through. They would eat the dinner he made together and would watch a Korean Drama on Netflix just before they called it a day. He smiles at the image in his head—a kind of breakable heaven—despite it causing him to gush out more tears.

"When I graduate, we'll go on a trip somewhere. I'd ask you where you'd want to go and we'll book the next immediate flight for it. Then maybe along the way we can visit here again, Hawaii, right before we pack up and head back to South Korea."

Jihoon feels Daniel's hands tightening over his own, and a few drops of water over it that he's not sure comes from the sea. He doesn't speak much more than that, doesn't give out any more wishful thoughts. He's soon prying his fingers away and Jihoon finally lets him, just as he lets him turn around now and swing his legs over so they're face to face.

"I don't regret anything though," Daniel says, his own eyes slightly red and glistening with fresh tears. "Even if all of that wouldn't come true, I don't regret anything."

And Jihoon understands. He understands that they have lives apart from each other, lives of their own. Lives that won't allow them to pursue what they want with each other no matter how much they wished it otherwise. And maybe it's okay, maybe it's not. But one thing's for sure is that whatever the path the rest of their lives lead them to, they will always save a piece of each other inside their hearts.

Just like how Daniel keeps the islands of Hawaii in his, and how Jihoon values each and every one of the people who support him.

"You ready to go back?" Daniel asks, sniffing audibly. "As much as I love the sea, it wouldn't be the greatest idea to get caught out here when the sun sets."

Jihoon pouts, looking up at the now orange sky. "Ten more minutes?"

Daniel looks up at the sky too, smiling when he nods. "Ten. Then I'll let you drive when on the way back and I'll treat you to dinner."

If Jihoon cries a little more in the ten minutes they spend there out in the open sea, no one will be privy to know except for the person who cries with him. But as much as he wants for time to stop, the sun is already beginning its slow descent sooner than he would want it. 

"So you just turn the key in the ignition, hold the handle and keep it steady, okay?" Daniel says from behind him, guiding his hands on the jetski. 

"I know how it works Niel."

"And keep your feet planted. And ease up on the throttle—"

"Daniel."

He laughs from behind him, his body shaking with his breath. "One more thing. Turn around a little."

Jihoon frowns, but he tilts his head all the same to face back. He hasn't even completely turned yet when he Daniel suddenly has his lips on his, a hand going to his chin to hold him as he moves to deepen the exchange.

"Alright. You're all set." Daniel grins, bracing himself and looping his long arms around his body, clutching on him like a cat. Jihoon turns the keys, feeling the engine come to life.

"Okay. Don't let go!" He says over the rumble, feeling Daniel's arms wrapping him tighter. Jihoon doesn't have to turn back to know that there's a smile on his face.

"I won't!"

  
  


***

  
  


Jihoon clasps the locks on his bag closed, zipping the transparent luggage cover over the metal outer shell and gets up from the floor to do a last round of check around the room. He pats his pockets for his phone and passport, goes through the drawers and the closet, grabs his handbag lying on the bed before he stands back in the middle of the room where Daniel watches and waits for him.

"You got everything?"

Jihoon gives his room one last turn before he hums and nods in assent. "If I forget anything, I can trust you to keep it for me, right?"

Daniel chortles, walking to him and wrapping his arms around his waist in an embrace. "You're going to have to fly to L.A. to get it back though."

"Well that wouldn't be so bad," Jihoon says, hugging him back. He stares at him then, pursing his lips and doing his best to keep his emotions in check. A futile effort really, when he knows he won't be able to hold up much longer.

"I wish I could go to the airport with you." Daniel pouts, bringing out a laugh from him. 

"And risk you making me cry in public? No way."

"You're a good actor," Daniel says, and Jihoon can see his eyes starting to go glassy. "I doubt I can make you cry."

Jihoon doubts so too. He's sure as much as the sun rises in the east and sets on the west that Daniel has every capability to make him cry.

"I'm gonna miss you," Daniel whispers, and those few words alone serve as the final nail to break down Jihoon's walls.

"Not too much, okay?" He says, the treble in his voice cracking.

"I'm going to download and stream all your music even if I don't like them, just so I can hear your voice. I'll watch all your dramas and movies even if the show bores me to death, just so I can see your face."

Jihoon laughs at that, the usual wheeze coming out choked and broken, the first few of his tears now falling freely down his cheeks.

"I'll cheer you on, even if you don't think of me. And I'll try to remember to vote for you on those stupid award shows—if I have the time."

"I feel like you're doing so much for me when I can't even speak about you to anyone. You don't have to do all that." Jihoon shakes his head, chuckling the ache in his chest away.

But Daniel only shakes his head in return, his own tears sliding down his face. "I'll always be your biggest fan. And I'll try my best to wait until your forty," he says, grinning from ear to ear. "When you can finally date and fall for whoever you want."

That does it then. Jihoon opens his mouth but all that comes out now is a choked sob that continues to rattle the bones in his body right to the very core. He throws himself at Daniel, hugging his neck fiercely as he feels him do the same. He uses his body to will every inch of skin he has to never forget how Daniel's arms feel strong around his waist, how smooth his chest conforms to the crevice between his own and how good it feels to be so close to him like this. He pulls back a little, taking a mental picture of his tear stricken face and committing to memory every single detail of it. The small mole under his eye, the crooked bunny teeth. The way his laugh lines form at the side of his cheeks when he so as much as pulls his face for a smile, the way his eyes turn into crescents in every breath of laughter.

Jihoon stores it all in his head, in his heart, hoping against hope that the permanence of this moment would last forever. He probably already has more than a couple of dozen photos of Daniel on his phone, but when the memory of the moments in those images fade in value like he knows it will, then he will go back to this memory. Standing in the middle of this suite in a hotel in Hawaii, holding each other like it could be their last chance to do so.

Jihoon wants to say it, now more than ever. He wants to say it out loud even if he's not a hundred percent sure of it himself. He wants to say it and let Daniel know. It would be very easy—he's said it to countless of people in the past without a shred of hesitation—that all it takes is to really just put it out there.

But he doesn't. Not because he's afraid he wouldn't mean it, but because he believes that it isn't the right time. 

"Thank you, Daniel," he says instead, and the smile Daniel gives him right after lets him know that he had made the right choice. “Thank you. For everything.”

He gets a nod, and his hands grip him tighter in one last touch. "_Mahalo, _ Jihoon-ah."

They pull back together at the same time, each laughing at their own faces as they wipe their tears away. Daniel rolls over his luggage to him, passing him the handle that sort of reminds him of the way this same kind of thing happened when they first saw each other. This time is different though, because when Jihoon holds out his hand to grab his luggage handle, he grabs Daniel’s forearm instead, pulling him close again while he stands on his toes to kiss him on the lips.

Daniel only registers with surprise for a second, before he melts into the gesture and folds over to kiss him back. A hand goes to the underside of Jihoon’s jaw, to his waist. Mouths part a little, and lips dance in the tune of a music so silent that only two people are able to hear. Jihoon’s lips tingle and spark when he pulls back in time with Daniel, pursing them almost as if he’s relishing the taste of him for the last time.

They don’t say goodbye or see you next time, nor do they do much else besides smile and nod at each other in acknowledgment. Jihoon takes his bags then, starts walking backwards and to the door, gives Daniel one last look—snapping one last photo in his memory—before he closes the door of his bedroom and heads for the elevators.

  
  


***

  
  


Jihoon’s finally sat on his plane seat, music playing on his airpods while he settles himself and begins to relax after a bit of a stressful time at the airport. He makes a mental note to himself to write down _ everything _ he needs to say during a flight check-in beforehand the next time he visits an English-speaking country alone.

He looks to his left, outside the window where he can still see a few mountains and palm trees in the distance. He thinks back on his seven days here, breathes in the last of the Hawaiian air his system will allow until the next time he happens to pass by the islands—he’s sure he will, one day.

_ “Good afternoon passengers, this is your co-pilot speaking. We will be departing in just a few minutes so please fasten your seat belts, open your window shades, stow your tray tables, and enjoy the flight. Thank you.” _

Jihoon feels the plane begin to hum to life. In a last minute—and quite literally impulsive—decision, he fishes out his phone from the pocket of his red track pants and turns the screen on. He smiles at the wallpaper, which he has to make sure to change before he lands back on Korean soil unless he wants the media to go crazy about the person on the screen, and opens his messaging app. He taps the tab marked as his favorite contacts, scrolls down a few names and finds the person with the buck-toothed smile as his display pic.

The plane lurches in motion, moving forward with a static buzz. Jihoon types in his message, hits the send button, puts his phone on airplane mode and turns off the screen. He’ll leave it to fate then, to whether the message will send itself or not. He’ll leave it to fate if it’ll reach him and he gets to read it. But for now he contents himself that he’s said it in some way, somehow, and that it’s going to be okay. 

** _Jihoon:_ ** _ I think I’m in love with you Daniel _

** _Jihoon: _ ** _ see you again. soon. _


End file.
